


Like Fiddle Strings

by astudyinfic



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Broken Ty/Zane - Nick/Kelly friendship, Canon Divergence, Illegal activity, M/M, Set around Crash & Burn, mob
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:55:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28616169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Ty may never forgive his best friend for agreeing to run the Irish mob. Hasn't even talked to him in months.But one phone call changes everything, whether Ty likes it or not.
Relationships: Kelly Abbott/Nick O'Flaherty, Zane Garrett/Ty Grady
Comments: 15
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Accal1a for betaing this and cheerleading me through. 
> 
> Tags and characters will probably be updated as I post new chapters.

_Friends are like fiddle-strings—they must not be screwed too tightly. -Proverb  
_

* * *

_"The world out there is burning, Ty."  
Ty ran his finger down Zane's cheek, nodding. "But we were born in a kiln." -Crash & Burn_

The small ball of grey fluff looked up at Zane, warm blue eyes blinking innocently at him. Well, to anyone else, it would look innocent but Zane knew better. Cats did not rank high on the list of his favorite animals, and this one, in particular, was only slightly higher than Cross’s demonic monsters. Jiminy and his sister Cricket were the light of Ty’s eye, however, so Zane had called a temporary truce with the animals in the hopes of making his fiancé happy.

Which didn’t mean he appreciated Jiminy getting on the breakfast table and staring at him while he ate. The eyes were disconcerting.

“Tyler! One of your furry things is on the table again!” Zane called, because he’d warned Ty he would tell him each time one of the cats misbehaved. But then, when he was certain Ty wasn’t around, he gave the cat a few drops of milk on the table. Not enough to make him sick but it would definitely keep him busy for the couple of seconds it took Zane to go rinse out his bowl and put it in the dishwasher.

Ty’s voice carried from upstairs. “They have names, Garrett!”

“Doesn’t mean I need to use them,” Zane countered, grinning to himself. He cleaned his bowl and looked back at the table where the kitten licked his lips and looked hopefully at Zane. “Nuh-uh. That’s all you get. I’ll never hear the end of it if he finds out I spoil you.”

Ty joined him a few minutes later, moving as silently as he ever had. Even five years after they first met, it never failed to surprise Zane when Ty seemed to appear by his side.

“Is our report done yet?” Ty asked, grabbing an apple for his own breakfast.

Zane smiled at his partner fondly.

“If it’s done,” Ty continued, “maybe we can take the day off and actually get some planning done on the wedding.”

They’d been engaged for almost a year now and while they were both anxious to call one another their husband, figuring out how to have a wedding while still working cases was proving to be difficult. After everything with Burns, they’d considered leaving the FBI but then they got permission to continue working as partners from higher up despite their very public relationship. In the end, they chose a life with guns over one of peace and quiet. They could live a quiet life when they were older. Right now, they both knew this was what they were born to do.

“Yes, I turned in the report last night.” Zane knew better than anyone that Ty wouldn’t be doing any of his paperwork. So he could go ahead and do it himself - something he kind of enjoyed but would never admit out loud - or wait until Ty couldn’t ignore it anymore and then deal with his lover’s bad mood. This way, Ty owed him something. Something Zane would collect on when they weren’t wearing any clothes.

However, if they were discussing wedding plans, more likely they would end up fighting, not fucking, which was a real shame. Zane wanted something low-key, maybe in West Virginia at Ty’s family home. Ty thought they should do something in Baltimore or Texas, large and exciting and formal. Zane tried to remind himself that Ty had never done this before, that the idea of a big wedding sounded great until you were in the middle of it. But he also knew that if Ty insisted on this, he would go along with it. If that was what it took to be married to Ty Grady, then Zane would happily say his vows in front of hundreds of people at the most elaborate church they could find.

“I was thinking,” Ty started, jumping up to sit on the counter. He took a bite of his apple rather than finish the thought immediately and Zane sighed, the heavy, put-upon sound of a man desperately in love with B. Tyler Grady and everything that came along with him. “I was thinking we should do it here in Baltimore. We always travel to see our families. I think it’s time they come to see us don’t you?”

There were some definite benefits to having the wedding here. Planning would be easier if they were living in the same place they planned to wed. It was central between West Virginia and Philadelphia so Ty’s family could all be there easily enough. And Zane’s family could fly in without issue. All Zane knew was that, without a doubt, they were not having their wedding in Texas. (Ty tried to argue that several times until Zane put his foot down. Having it in Texas meant Beverly would be involved and then it would become her party rather than their wedding and Ty quickly agreed that neither of them wanted that.)

Ty grinned, a beautiful expression that served as a warning of danger to Zane, like a brightly colored flower that is gorgeous but deadly. “If we have it here, then I think Jimmy and Cricket should be the ring bearers, what do you think?”

Scowling, Zane shook his head before Ty was even done asking the question. “I think that the cats can stay here at the row house where they belong during the ceremony. I also thought we decided to tattoo our rings on rather than use actual metal ones. I would prefer it if my husband didn’t lose his finger in the line of duty because he couldn’t figure out how to get the ring off fast enough.”

Ty reached out to pull Zane closer and wrapped his arms around Zane’s waist. “Husband. I like the sound of that.” They rested their foreheads together, eyes closed as they breathed in each other’s scents. “We need to get married soon, Zane. I’m tired of waiting. I want to call you my husband every single day.”

That sounded practically perfect to Zane. He didn’t care about the wedding other than the fact that he wanted to be married to Ty as soon as possible.

“Deuce is going to be your best man?” It was one of the only other things they’d already agreed upon. Not that there had been much doubt. Zane knew there was one other man who might have received that honor but things were difficult there, at the moment.

Ty nodded. “Couldn’t be anyone else. Though, I’m sure Grandpa would make an argument for the shovel.” The joking tone could almost hide the emotion behind his answer. If it was anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have noticed. But Zane wasn’t just anyone.

Pursing his lips, Zane stared at Ty, debating the merits of arguing the point. They’d gone rounds on this already but Zane wasn’t one to back down from a fight. Particularly not one that was so important. “You and I both know there is someone else you would like to stand up there with you, baby. You can deny it all you want. Don’t you think it is time to forgive him?”

Ty and Nick had been friends for longer than Zane could imagine. He’d never had anyone in his life for that long and couldn’t fathom how Ty was willing to throw it all away on such a minor argument.

Glaring, Ty crossed his arms over his chest. “This isn’t up for debate, Garrett. He and Doc made their decision. I know better than to try and change their minds. But I can’t accept it. I can’t forgive them. After everything we’ve been through, this is what they decide to do with their lives? I don’t understand.”

Zane didn’t either, not entirely. All of Sidewinder spent their entire careers fighting for what they believed was right. For Nick and Kelly to make the decision they did, it seemed to go against everything they stood for. Kelly was a moral chameleon, changing his color to fit the situation but Nick? Nick was the conscience of the group, the one who kept them on the straight and narrow. For him to have made this choice, it couldn’t have been done lightly.

“I know you’re upset, doll, but you can’t hold it against them forever. They’re your best friends. Digger and Owen have forgiven them. Why can’t you?” While he still hoped they could get through this conversation without a battle, it didn’t look like today would be the day. Zane watched Ty visibly bristle at the mere thought and braced himself for his lover’s outburst that he could see coming.

“Because it could ruin everything, Zane! Because if I forgive them, that means I’m okay with them being a part of the Irish mob. It means a _federal officer_ is friends with the heads of the Irish mob in Boston. Don’t you see how that is a problem? Don’t you see how this could ruin everything, not just for me but for you too? If I have to pick, Zane, it is you. It will always be you.”

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Zane’s chest warmed at that declaration. It was the same for him, of course. He would choose Ty every single time. Ever since New Orleans, they’d been honest with one another and their relationship had never been stronger. There was no longer this thread of tension between them and Zane knew there was nothing that would pull them apart.

Even if they got reprimanded or fired for remaining friends with two people Ty considered brothers who chose to take on an inappropriate job. “Ty, I love you. You know I would choose you every time, no matter the situation. You are everything to me.” Ty softened slightly, smiling but Zane could still see the tension in the line of his shoulders. His lover was preparing for the _but_ Zane was building up to. “I’ve never had friends like Sidewinder. There is no one in my life besides you that I would have gladly laid down my life for before them. And I know how much you love them. All of them. If we have to risk our jobs so you can keep your brothers in our lives, so be it. What sort of life would it be if we didn’t take chances for the ones we love?”

He placed his hands on Ty’s shoulders, forcing his lover to face him. “It’s time to forgive them, Beaumont. You can’t stay mad at them forever.” For a moment, Zane thought he might actually have won.

“And we can’t have the Irish mob at our wedding! It doesn’t matter how much I love them both. They made their choice and it wasn’t us. I thought things were better after Scotland. Thought we’d made peace and would move on. How was I supposed to know Nick was on the payroll of the mob this whole time? He was my best friend. I know we both kept secrets. I kept mine to keep him safe. He kept his because he knew I wouldn’t approve.”

Zane kept his mouth shut. He’d been with Ty long enough to know that his lover wasn’t one to forgive and forget easily, not when it was a matter of loyalty. And for whatever reason, he saw Kelly and Nick’s decision to be a betrayal.

“He used to question my morality,” Ty mumbled, jumping off the counter to pace around the kitchen. “He used to joke he was my conscience, the thing that kept me from doing anything too terrible. He was always furious with me when he thought I’d stepped off the proper course.”

Zane watched, heartbroken and wishing there was something he could do to help. He tried to push Ty to talk to Nick but in the end, Ty was his priority, and he would support him, no matter what.

“Okay.” Zane gave a nod and decided to drop the topic. They had plenty of other things to argue about with the wedding and one last disagreement suited him just fine. He glanced at Jiminy, still standing on the dining room table, looking hopefully at Ty. Zane scooped him up and dropped him into Ty’s arms, smiling as Ty cuddled the little monster immediately. “So, wedding in Baltimore, which makes sense because technically it wouldn’t even be legal in West Virginia or Texas.” Maybe someday, but Maryland would have to do for now. “Deuce as your best man. I might have Fred as mine.” Zane didn’t really have anyone he felt that strongly about, but as he had been in Fred’s wedding, it seemed fair to return the favor.

Ty was hardly listening to him, which suited Zane just fine because the sooner his lover calmed down, the better. An upset Ty without anything to shoot at was not someone he wanted to deal with today. While Ty cuddled and cooed at his kitten, Ty’s phone started to ring on the counter. Without glancing at the name, he flipped the phone open. “Garrett.”

“Garrett? I thought I was calling Ty?” Zane froze, eyes wide as the voice registered and he looked at Ty, who wasn’t paying attention yet. He knew that would change the moment Zane started to speak, however.

He licked his lips. “You did. I answered his phone for him.” Pausing, Zane shot one last look at Ty before asking, “Is there something I can help you with, O’Flaherty?”

Ty’s head whipped around and the sudden movement had Jiminy bolting from his arms and up the stairs to find his sister, who was probably curled up in the middle of their bed. Zane shrugged as the silence on the other line dragged on.

Finally, Nick spoke, sounding utterly broken. “Yes. Maybe. I need to talk to Ty. I know he doesn’t want to talk to me but...”

Handing the phone to Ty, Zane whispered, “I don’t know what’s wrong but it’s bad. Talk to him.” Nick didn’t sound like that often. Zane might not know him as well as Sidewinder did but even he could read the man’s moods now and that quiet, monotone voice was not the Nick O’Flaherty Zane knew and liked. And if he was calling Ty, knowing how angry Ty still was, then it had to be something enormous.

Ty snatched the phone from his hand. “What do you want?” He snapped and even Zane flinched away from the tone in his voice.

“I know you’re still mad but...”

“You’re damn right I’m still mad. You went and fucking joined the mob, Irish! Not only that, you’ve been working for them for years without telling any of us. You think that doesn’t entitle me to be a little pissed off? I’m a Fed, Nick. If they found out that you were mob, what would that have done to me? To Zane?”

“You didn’t know! They couldn’t have done anything to you because you didn’t know! I was protecting you, Ty! How can you not see that?”

In the past, Ty and Nick had come to blows several times. They were both hard-headed and strong, neither good at admitting when they were wrong. So the anger in Nick’s voice wasn’t unusual for Ty to hear but after not talking for so many months, it wasn’t the first thing he wanted to hear from the man he considered his best friend and brother.

He took a deep breath, silently marveling at how good Zane had been for him that he didn’t head full bore into this argument without even pausing to think. “Why are you calling, Irish? Just tell me what you need to tell me and then we can go back to not speaking to each other. You’re putting us at risk just calling us now.”

Nick’s annoyed huff bristled Ty even more and he glared first at the phone and then at Zane as if his lover was the reason he was stuck in this conversation in the first place. Pulling his attention back to the phone, Nick asked, “Do you really think I would do that if it wasn’t an emergency? I don’t have anyone else I can call. There isn't anyone I can trust more than the two of you.”

Zane could see Ty’s sneer from across the room and while he didn’t know what Nick might be saying, he braced himself for the inevitable blow-up. “You have the whole fucking mob at your fingertips and you need us? Ask one of them. I’m sure one of your lackeys would be more than happy to do whatever it is that you are paying them for.”

Nick tried to get a word in but Ty kept going. “You’re so damn loyal! Even to people who don’t deserve it!” Ty fought against the panic rising with the thought that he might be included among that number. How many times had he turned his back on his best friend the moment he didn’t agree with one of Nick’s choices? Maybe he was the problem of this relationship, not the fact that Nick followed his father into the mob.

“Tyler!” Nick’s voice was so loud, Zane could hear it from where he sat, and Ty visibly flinched away from the phone. “Did you ever stop to consider why I agreed to all of this? Did you ever consider that while I literally gave part of myself to the man who beat the shit out of me growing up, that maybe I would want to give something to the man who actually deserved it? Paddy Whalen is not a good man but he has always been good to me. He kept my sisters safe. He welcomed me home when my supposed father couldn’t be bothered to even show up. Paddy is my father, in every respect. And when he asked something of me, after everything he did while I was growing up, this was the least I could do. I thought you could understand that. Maybe not.”

Ty froze, mouth hanging open and Zane wondered what Nick could have said to shock him so thoroughly. It took a moment for Ty to shake himself, realizing what a hypocrite he’d been. He’d watched Nick struggle with his relationship with his father the entire time they knew one another, and when he actually had someone who could act in that role for him, someone who cared for and supported him, Ty turned his back on him almost immediately because he decided he didn’t like the guy without even meeting him.

Ty didn’t respond before Nick sighed softly into the phone. “I know you’re still mad. I understand that. But we need help, Ty.”

“Tell me what is going on.” Anger, guilt, and fear all roiled in Ty’s chest but he would stop to sort through that later. Right now, it was more important to find out what was happening to Nick and Kelly, and see if there was really anything he and Zane could do to help. He hit the speaker button on the phone and set it on the table, nodding Zane over to listen in.

“In the six months since we took over, we’ve been working on cleaning up Boston. Paddy let too many things go, more focused on keeping people in line than using our resources for anything else. When we took over, we decided that we would take care of all the little problems that have plagued the city for years. And we created a new network of informants and clients, so to speak.”

“Cut to the point, Nicko!” Kelly yelled from somewhere in the background, and Ty and Zane shared a smile. No matter what Ty might have said, Zane knew he’d missed them.

Nick chuckled. “I’m getting there,” he said away from the phone before turning back to Ty and Zane. “Anyway, we have this new network who have been helping us actually do something good for a change. Except, they’re all turning up dead. Well, not all of them. Just the ones that have clear ties to the organization.”

“Someone is killing your people?” Zane asked. “Do you know who? Or why?”

“Yes. No. Yes. Or at least we partially know why. Word on the street is that we are killing off people who have turned on us. That all the people who were doing what we ordered were actually doing that without our permission and we had them eliminated. I know BPD is already looking into the mob ties and it is only a matter of time before they conclude that we were behind the killings.” Nick paused and Ty and Zane waited with bated breath, knowing there was more to it. “Whoever this is, they’re good. Just from what I’ve seen, if I was still a Detective, I’d already be getting warrants for our lower level leadership. The evidence is too strong and even if I know it is forged, it isn’t like I can go tell Hagan. He thinks we retired to live a quiet life, not run the Irish mob.”

Zane and Ty shared a look, both shaking their heads as Zane fought to keep a smile from pulling at his lips. “O’Flaherty, how do you and Doc keep finding yourselves in these situations?”

Kelly yelled at them, voice loud and biting over the phone, “I don’t want to hear it, Garrett! We’ve almost died a half-dozen times for your asses! This is nothing compared to that!”

“Kels, knock it off.” Nick’s tone turned serious once more. “I don’t have my resources in the department anymore. At least not ones that would be useful to us. We need someone with a badge who can look into this for us. Someone we can trust and who will be looking for something other than which of our guys should go down for this.”

Inhaling sharply, Ty looked at Zane, brow raised. “Irish...”

“I know, Six. I know. I wouldn’t ask this of you if it wasn’t an emergency.” He took an audible breath, letting it out slowly. “They’re after us, Ty. They’re after _Kelly_. I can’t let him go down because he loves me enough to follow me into this mess. If it was Zane, how would you feel?”

Zane was nodding before Ty could even get the words out. They wouldn’t leave their friends to hang, no matter how upset they were with one another. Ty spared one more glance at Zane, who was already grabbing his own phone to place a call to McCoy. “We’ll be there tomorrow, Nick. See you then.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Listen, Mac. We just need a couple of days. Family drama, you have to know how that is.” Zane rolled his eyes as he paced around the living room, trying to convince their ASAIC to grant them leave that neither of them actually had. This was becoming a familiar refrain in their working relationship.

Their boss ranted at him, all too aware of the drama that seemed to follow in the wake of his most rage-inducing partnership. Zane tried not to laugh, knowing it would just infuriate McCoy even more. “So what is it now? Mountain lions in West Virginia? Tigers in Texas? How you two manage to find this trouble, I will never know.”

“Neither, sir. Seems like the issue is bulldogs in Boston, this time.”

McCoy snorted. “Changing things up a bit, are we? Suppose that is better than killer cats at least.” 

Zane was inclined to agree or would have if they were in fact just dealing with cute puppies. “It’s a Grady thing. I’m just along to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself. If he dies before the wedding, I will need to kill him myself.” 

Ty looked up from where he was trying to get Zane’s laptop to work for him so he could get them a hotel room and flipped Zane off, earning a laugh from his fiancé. 

McCoy growled and Zane knew they had won, even if they would probably pay for it later on. “Two days. You have two days off and the weekend. After that, your asses had better be back in this office, do you understand me? Get Grady’s shit in order and get back.”

“Will do, sir. And thank you. If anything changes, you’ll be the first to know.”

“I highly doubt that.” McCoy disconnected the line before Zane could say anything else. 

Zane pocketed his phone. “He gave us until Monday. Think we can solve O’Flaherty’s problem by then?” It didn’t seem likely, and Zane knew deep down that they would be calling and requesting more time off before the weekend was over. How McCoy would take that was anyone’s guess, and without Burns to call and smooth things over anymore (though Zane didn’t feel anything from his loss), it was likely they would be reprimanded. McCoy had told them before that they weren’t above reproach and one of these days, they would push him too far. 

Each day, Zane wondered if this would be the time McCoy finally snapped.

Ty shook his head and grumbled, “This is Irish, Doc, and the mob we are talking about. Even if it wasn’t a matter of life or death, it would take more than four days to sort out their mess.” 

Zane decided not to point out the irony in that statement, considering how often and how long Nick and Kelly had helped them with their own issues. 

He looked up and Zane was taken aback by the solemnity in his normally sparkling eyes. “ I don’t know what we can do for them. We won’t have much jurisdiction there without stepping on toes in the Boston office.”

Zane had considered that as well and he thought for a moment. “Well, we can go and listen to their story. If it seems plausible, then we can take it to the Boston office and see what they say. If not, then at least you know you heard them out, even if you didn’t want to.”

“I hate that I don’t trust him anymore, that my first thought is ‘Is Nick lying to me again?’. Things were so much easier when we were honest with one another.” Ty frowned, realizing that they had never been entirely honest with one another. Neither had disclosed their own sexuality until well after other lies had settled between them.

“I think...” Zane started before snapping his mouth shut. He wanted to choose his words carefully. This was Nick and Ty he was talking about and the last thing he wanted to do was drive a wedge any further between them – though Nick had done a damn good job of that since that instigating phone call in New Orleans. “I think he honestly believed that his lies were to protect you. I _know_ that yours were to protect him and the rest of the team and he probably thinks that his were the same. I know you’re angry and hurt and have every right to be. Hell, I’m angry for you. But let’s go hear what he has to say. Just talking to them will not get us in trouble with the agency. It sounds as if BPD hasn’t figured out that Nick and Kelly are running the organization yet, so there shouldn’t be anything to tie us to the mob if we just go to the Fiddler and spend time with friends.” He hoped. 

While Zane was happy to help any of Sidewinder with anything they needed, he did love his job and would be devastated if their careers were impacted because of Nick and Kelly’s new lives. Not that Zane felt like putting that particular thought out there. If Ty thought Zane was worried in the slightest, he would call the whole thing off and Zane couldn’t let that happen. 

If this went well, Ty and Nick might actually have time to talk and it would be one less concern weighing on Zane’s shoulders.

Unaware of Zane’s train of thought, Ty nodded. “Okay. The worst that can happen is we tell them they are idiots for getting involved with the mob in the first place and everything returns to the way it was.” Zane thought Ty might be underselling it a bit. There were far worse things that could happen but he wasn’t going to point that out. “I have a hotel for the weekend. We can have the cats so we don’t need to find someone to watch them.”

“That’s good because Clancy threatened to neuter both of us if we ever asked her to watch them again.” Even in Zane’s opinion, Jiminy and Cricket were good cats. But, for whatever reason, they hated Clancy with a passion, something she was highly insulted about. Zane couldn’t figure out why she would take it personally. They were cats, after all. But she frequently and loudly vocalized her dislike for their pets. Clancy believed everyone should love her, animals included and it irked that Ty’s kittens did not.

Ty laughed, finding the whole situation funny. Zane did too but as Michelle still wanted to kill him for shooting her in Miami, he kept that information to himself. No sense in drawing any more of her ire.

The next morning, they took the Mustang at Ty’s insistence, even if it was a tight fit for two cats and two large men. It was a nice day for April, and they rode with the windows down for part of it until Cricket got too close to an open window and Ty panicked. By the time they reached Boston, they were all grumpy, hungry, and covered in cat fur (which was hardly unusual for them anymore). They pulled into the parking lot at the Marina and each carried a cat as they made their way down the familiar docks to where the Fiddler was moored at the end. The cats squirmed, anxious to get down and run around for a few minutes and they both had to tighten their grip for fear of them bolting onto someone else’s boat, or worse, into the water. 

Zane could feel the tension coming off Ty in waves, something that had been unheard of before the bombshell about Nick’s connection to the mob. Now he only wished he could help soothe his fiancé’s frayed nerves and maybe save them all a few minutes of Ty’s rage later on. 

He turned to say something to Ty, though Zane didn’t know what, when Ty came to a stop only a few feet from the boat. “It’s going to be fine,” Zane started to say before turning to look in the direction Ty was staring. 

Two large men stood near the stern, blocking their entrance. While Ty and Zane could easily take them, it would be more difficult with the cats in their hands. And they were only casually armed, not thinking they would need more firepower until later in the weekend. 

They both scanned the men, noting the weapons hidden on them. Not well, but hidden, technically speaking. They were obviously security of some sort, security who didn’t feel anyone would actually be challenging them. 

“Why don’t you two move along?” The one on the right said, nodding at Ty and Zane as if the mere suggestion would send them scrambling. 

Zane inwardly rolled his eyes while Ty cocked a brow. “Or how about you two fuck off and let us go see our friends? I’m sure you have some little old ladies to shake down or something.” His voice was calm, cool, but Zane could hear the anger and tension underneath. Ty was pissed, though if it was at the two goons in front of them or his best friends who were supposed to be inside the boat, he didn’t know. Either way, Zane was glad it wasn’t aimed at him.

“Liam, Cormac, let them through.” 

Ty growled wordlessly and pushed past them none too gently as soon as Nick’s voice had reached them from the vessel. 

Zane knew before they even left Baltimore that this wouldn’t be a fun trip, but if Ty was growling and glaring already, they were in for a very long few days.

Giving the men one last glance, Ty left the deck of the Fiddler and headed down into the cabin. Zane followed, giving a terse nod to the two men whom he suspected might be Nick and Kelly’s bodyguards. If they were going for subtle with this whole ‘we run the mob’ thing, they were failing by a mile. Stepping into the main sitting room, Zane closed the door behind him and set the cat on the floor, watching Jiminy as he scampered off after his sister who was sniffing Kelly’s shoes intently.

“Nick, Doc, good to see you again,” he smiled, trying to get the pleasantries out of the way before Ty blew a gasket and they had to talk him down. They could all see Ty building up to it.

Ty glared at him and Zane offered a small smile and shrug. He didn’t intend to take his fiancé’s wrath, but he wasn’t going to apologize for greeting their friends either. After staring for a moment longer, Ty nodded and turned on Nick. “Bodyguards, Irish? Since when have _either_ of you ever needed protection from anything?” 

They were two of the deadliest people Ty and Zane knew, so if they thought they needed protection, things had to be pretty bad. At least, that was what Zane thought. 

Ty obviously had another opinion. 

“Mikey assigned them here,” Nick explained, far calmer facing an angry Ty Grady than anyone had a right to be. “I told them it wasn’t necessary but apparently this comes with the job, particularly since we know there is a threat to us but don’t know where it is coming from.” 

Kelly looked up, meeting Nick’s eyes and nodding before going back to playing with the cats. 

“One of them is named Liam, Nick. _Liam!_ What the fuck, man? Did you lose all your sense when you lost all your morals?”

Nick stared at him like Ty had finally lost his mind. “It’s not Bell. Liam is a fairly common Irish name, in case you didn’t know that. I’m not going to be able to avoid all Liams for the rest of my life.”

“You could damn well try!” All three of them blinked at Ty, waiting him out. There was no stopping him when he got up a head of steam like this. They could only wait for him to burn himself out. “I don’t care that it’s not Bell. I mean, I do. I would damn well hope it’s not him But, that doesn't make it okay, Irish. Nothing about that is okay!"

“Baby, I think we are a little off topic here,” Zane urged, hoping to get Ty’s emotions under control so they could actually figure out what the problem was. Ranting about the name of their bodyguard was neither productive nor important. He could see the issue behind Ty’s anger, though. Nick had always been the white knight, the moral compass, or whatever the hell else Sidewinder referred to him as. Now they were on the wrong side of the law and Ty couldn’t rectify this version of his best friend with the one he had always known. Zane thought Ty was justified in lashing out, but they really needed to get his priorities in order. “We can talk about the bodyguards later. Right now, why don’t we find out why they feel the need for them in the first place.” Placing a gentle hand on Ty’s shoulder, Zane met his eyes head on and gave him a small smile when Ty visibly deflated. 

Kelly let out a soft whistle. “Damn, I’ve never seen anyone handle one of his tirades that well. Not even his Mama.”

He couldn’t help it, Zane laughed. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand but everyone had already heard him. “What? Tirade? Ty-rade? It’s funny, okay?”

“Pun penalty, Lone Star. Doc, too,” Ty muttered under his breath. He took Zane’s hand and led him over to the couch where they both sat, looking at Nick and Kelly expectantly. “Alright, so you two join the biggest criminal organization in Boston and are now surprised people are trying to kill you? That happened when you were on the right side of the law. Explain to me why this is different.”

Kelly picked up the cats and came to join them. 

Nick looked like he wanted to complain about the animals being on his boat but he snapped his mouth shut and pressed his lips into a hard line. Giving a heavy sigh, he sat next to his partner. “If they were just trying to kill us, that wouldn’t be as bad. If this was simply them shooting at us and us shooting back, we wouldn’t have called you. What they are doing is far worse. Whoever this is, they are playing with us. Killing innocent people who are trying to make a difference in their community and then pinning it on us. They haven’t named us by name yet. I don’t know if that is because they honestly don’t know who is in charge now that Paddy has left town, or if they are trying to force our hand to announce it ourselves, but it doesn’t matter. The fact is, they are killing people who don’t deserve it and Kelly and I will take the fall for it once the cops catch on.”

Nobody said anything, the four men staring at each other in silence while the kittens climbed onto Kelly’s shoulders and jumped to the back of the couch. What was there to say to that? Had Kelly and Nick really not thought through the consequences before agreeing to run the Irish mob? How had they not realized that this sort of thing was bound to happen when they took over? Because regardless of the good they wanted to do, the fact of the matter was they still ran a massive, underground criminal network. Whether they used it to improve Boston or not, they were still breaking the law in many ways. 

When it was clear no one else was going to say anything, Zane cleared his throat. “So, what do you want from us? We can help in some ways, but pulling agency resources to help exonerate the mob isn’t going to be a boon to either of our careers. We will need something to go on. Poking around in another department’s case is going to raise all sorts of red flags, particularly when we took official time off to come up here this weekend.”

“Can you get yourselves put on the case?” Kelly asked, leaning forward. “I don’t know how that works but if you get assigned to the case, in theory you would have access to everything and could point things in the right direction.”

Ty and Zane shared a look, one that spoke volumes in a matter of seconds. They _could_ try to get put on the case, though they would have to get creative in order to do it. The mob wasn’t under Baltimore’s jurisdiction and they were lacking in friends higher up who would be able to make this happen for them, no questions asked.

“Maybe you can just see the evidence? Tell them it’s research for another case. There must be something you can do.” The pleading tone to Nick’s voice wasn’t something either of them were used to hearing, and it drove home just how serious this really was. Or that he was pulling all the stops to manipulate them. Ty was right. It was awful that they couldn’t just trust him anymore.

Zane ran his hand through his hair, already coming up with excuses they could use to get on the case or at least see the file. While he retreated into his head - crunching numbers, as Ty liked to call it - Ty continued to ask questions. “If no one knows you two are involved, why the bodyguards? If I were looking into the case and came across anything that tied you two to the murders, seeing you had bodyguards stationed at your home would be a huge red flag.” 

To their surprise, Nick laughed. “You would need to talk to Mikey. We grew up together but he stayed involved the whole time while I moved away and did other things for a while.” As if joining Force Recon was a fun, weekend hobby. “Now that I am back in the organization, he’s doing everything he can to keep us safe and happy so I don’t leave again. We may be in charge but no one is willing to go up against him, even at the risk of upsetting us. Apparently, we haven’t made a fearsome impression just yet.”

“So you, the biggest Irish asshole I know, are running an organization filled with Irish assholes, but you have somehow managed to get out-assholed in your own organization? I didn’t think that was possible.” Ty was smirking, the first hint of light Zane had seen in his eyes since they arrived. 

Kelly and Zane both laughed, though Zane tried to hide it more, and Nick rolled his eyes. “Yes, but it keeps Kelly safe so I don’t fight him on it too hard. If he starts to step on toes or put us in danger, I’ll put him back in line.” The hardness in his eyes reminded them all that Nick was not a man to mess with, particularly when Kelly was involved. “As long as they keep Kelly safe, I’m happy.”

“I can keep myself safe, thank you. If you don’t need protecting, then I don’t either. I seem to remember being able to take you down whenever we would spar, so don’t act like I’m some damsel who can’t protect myself.” Nick held up his hands in surrender, and Kelly nodded, apparently satisfied. 

Zane understood Nick’s determination to keep Kelly safe, but he would bristle as well if Ty was doing that to him. But that was a problem for the other couple, not Ty and Zane. 

As Kelly and Nick stared at one another, Kelly started to smirk and Nick narrowed his eyes. Ty grinned when he saw the same thing Kelly did; two grey ears popping up behind Nick, only a moment before Cricket jumped up onto Nick’s broad shoulder. 

“Every time!” Nick groused, trying to look at the kitten who was far too close for him to see anything other than a ball of fur. “Why did you bring them with you?”

“Because my best friends called and said they were in trouble and I didn’t want to stop long enough to find someone to watch our cats!” They all froze at Ty’s exclamation and Zane smiled despite himself. For all the anger Ty felt about Nick and Kelly joining the mob, he still dropped everything the moment he thought they were in trouble. Ty’s loyalty to them knew no ends and Zane hoped Nick and Kelly weren’t taking advantage of it. Again.

He seemed to realize almost immediately what he said and blushed, looking down at Jiminy weaving around his ankles. Ty scooped him up, holding him like a baby as he waited for his embarrassment over the emotional outburst to pass. 

“So,” Ty said, clearing his throat. “Your good people are being killed and your bad ones are being framed. You want us to prove that the bad ones aren’t the ones causing the problems.”

Kelly pursed his lips and nodded. “Well, we don’t really call them ‘good ones’ and ‘bad ones’ but yeah, that is the long and short of it. Do you think you can help us?”

If they could help, Zane knew they would. He didn’t know if it was possible, or what they could even do, and Nick and Kelly had to realize that as well. 

“We need a night to think about this,” Ty said, saving Zane from looking like the bad guy in front of Sidewinder. “Let me call in some favors and see what we can find. If we aren’t going to be able to help, I will see if we might be able to find someone who can.” Even if they wanted to help, there was a chance there was nothing they could do, and Ty refused to lead them on. 

Neither Nick nor Kelly looked happy about this but they didn’t argue. Zane hoped they appreciated the risk the two of them were taking for them. They might not, they might just expect it after the times they came to help Ty and Zane, but either way, he appreciated their silence on the matter. Arguing with them would just set Ty off again and that was something none of them wanted right now. 

Standing, Ty held tight to Jiminy who attempted to wiggle away. “We’re staying at the Seaport if you need us before tomorrow. I’ll call and let you know what we decide.”

He nodded from Zane to Cricket, who mewed softly and sank her claws into Nick’s shoulder where she remained perched. Zane gently lifted her, trying not to make her upset and risk bodily injury to himself or Nick. “We will do what we can to help you,” he promised Nick and Kelly before following his fiancé out of the room and off the yacht. 

Ty sneered once more at the bodyguards but didn’t look back, his purposeful strides taking them away from the Fiddler as quickly as he could manage without startling the cat in his arms. 

Zane didn’t know if they would be able to help. The constraints of their jobs meant that they were limited in what they could offer. And he knew Ty was still mad, maybe even more than he was before they got there. 

But he also knew Ty would do anything he could to help his friends, no matter how angry he was. So Zane silently vowed that they would find a way to help. There had to be something they could do. These were their friends, and he wasn’t about to let them take the fall if he had anything to say about it.


	3. Chapter 3

They drove back to the hotel in silence. 

Ty sat tense and still beside him, not uttering a word, and dread settled over Zane. When Ty stopped moving, Zane always feared the worst, particularly when Ty wasn’t saying anything either. He couldn’t help until he knew what was going on in Ty’s head.

Zane worried what would happen when they finally got back to their room, someplace Ty could let out everything he was currently bottling up. He could handle Ty’s anger, though he felt Ty's heartbreak as much as he felt his own. Zane just wished that Ty didn’t feel trapped in an impossible situation.

He gave the keys to the Mustang to the valet and grabbed Jiminy from the back seat and slung their bag over his shoulder as Ty slid out of the passenger side to grab Cricket. Together, they checked into the hotel and made their way to the room, the silence continuing to hover between them.

Cricket meowed plaintively, demanding more attention than they were giving her at that moment, and struggled in Ty's arms. Ty patted the top of her head without any real feeling. Zane tried to remember if he'd ever seen Ty so distracted that he couldn't pay attention to his beloved pets, but couldn't come up with a single instance. Worry ate at him as he realized that Ty was too in his own head to see what was going on around him.

Once inside, with the door shut and locked behind them, they let the cats down to explore and Zane dropped their bag on the dresser. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst, and turned to ask Ty...something. Zane didn't know what, just something that would make Ty talk. But before he could say anything, Ty passed right by him and face-planted on the bed. He lay there, eyes closed and breathing even. If Zane didn’t know better, it would appear that Ty was asleep.

But Zane did know better and knew there was too much weighing on his mind for Ty to relax at all. Whatever was going on in Ty’s head, sleep was the farthest thing from it. So Zane left him to brood and think, knowing that Ty would speak when he was ready. Prodding him for answers would get them nowhere.

Zane occupied himself by unpacking their things, placing them into the drawers just for something to do. He fed the cats and got them settled for the weekend. But when he’d finished everything and Ty still remained in the same place, Zane grew antsy. He paced and ran his hands through his hair, while his mind raced with thoughts about Nick and Kelly’s situation.

“How can they ask this of us?” Ty’s voice pulled him from his reverie, muffled as it was, and Zane stopped pacing to look at him. “Nick especially knows the situation he’s put us in, knows just how badly this can go for us if anyone finds out who we are helping. Does he not care? Just expect that we'll risk our lives because he made bad decisions?” Rolling to his back, Ty stared up at the ceiling and Zane sat next to him on the edge of the bed. Ty took Zane's hand in his own and asked, “What are you thinking, darlin’? What do you think about all of this? This affects you as much as it affects me.”

With a nudge at Ty’s hip, Zane encouraged him to move over and laid down beside him. “I don’t know. I believe them when they say they are innocent. Nick and Kelly have never given us a reason not to trust them.” As soon as he said it, Zane realized his mistake.

“Except when they went and joined the fucking mob.” And if that was the only thing, that would be bad enough. But after everything with Burns and Miami and the truths that came out, Zane knew the distrust had been sown long before Kelly followed Nick into his family’s business.

Zane knew Ty was seething. He hated Nick and Kelly’s decision, wanted to shake them until their ears bled for not seeing reason; but he knew they were adults and could make this decision for themselves, no matter how wrong it might be. They couldn't stop them from ruining their own lives if that was what they wanted. The problem came from the fact that they were now dragging Ty and Zane into it. They would probably pull in Digger and Owen as well if they thought those two could be of any use in this situation.

If they hadn’t made this choice, if they had listened to the ones who actually knew better in this case, then they wouldn't be framed for a series of murders of people they claimed were actually on the good side. But here they were, trying desperately not to get caught for something they didn’t do while hiding everything they were doing. They didn’t know what running the mob entailed, not entirely, but neither of them was naive enough to believe Nick and Kelly when they said they were using their positions to do good.

Maybe some good, yes. But any way you looked at it, being a part of the mob meant certain responsibilities. Sure, they could delegate, but in the end, anything that organization did inside Boston eventually landed on Nick and Kelly’s shoulders.

“I still don’t understand why. Why they joined. Why they thought they could do this and not get caught up in the actual Boston underworld. Were they naive and honestly thought they could do some good or did they understand the criminal part of this and just not care? Either way, there is a part of me that doesn’t want to help. They made their bed and all of that. Let them clean up the mob’s messes.”

"But..." Zane prompted, knowing that there was no way Ty would leave his friends to hang like that.

"But Nick and I have been through so much together and it doesn't matter how mad we are at one another, he has always been there for me when I needed him." _Mostly_ , Zane supplied silently but didn't want to get into it right at that moment. "And Doc? Doc has saved my life more times than I can count, so leaving him on his own really isn't an option either." Ty didn't look over at him but squeezed Zane's hand gently. "I can't ask you to help them, though. You are so close to retirement. I can't let you risk your career for my dumbass friends."

Zane sighed heavily. Leave it to Ty to be a self-sacrificing idiot. "You aren't asking. They're my friends too. I thought we talked about this already. We aren't going to save ourselves at the expense of our friends. If they need us, I'm in. You never have to ask because I'm volunteering. ‘Til death do us part, doll."

Ty finally turned and looked at Zane. His eyes sparkled in amusement but Zane could still see the tension, the tightness around his eyes that said he was still worried. He laughed, though. The infectious laugh pulled a smile to Zane's face as well. "It's cute that you think death can get you out of this relationship, Zane."

"No one's dying, Ty. I think we can get them out of this with a minimal amount of mayhem and destruction, don't you?” Though, with Ty Grady and at least half of Sidewinder involved, Zane wasn't sure he believed his own words. But Zane would cling to that belief until reality crashed down around him like it always seemed to do. He loved those men like brothers, but mayhem and destruction followed in Sidewinder's wake. He wondered what it would have been like to be on a battlefield with them. Probably utter terror and chaos.

And fun.

Ty was nodding, though, and Zane chose to live with his delusion that this would be a simple case of calling in some favors and looking at the evidence. "Exactly. All we need to do is get our hands on the file. Once that happens, I think we can clear this all up. We might even be back at our desks on Monday and Mac won't put out a bounty on our heads."

And what a lovely change of pace that would be.

But that brought them back to the same problem. How did they get the evidence? They couldn't very well walk into the Boston office and request it without good reason. And ' _we're trying to prove our friends who run the Irish mob here in your city aren't behind the streak of murders you've been dealing with_ ' wasn't going to be good enough. Zane rolled onto his side to face his lover. "Do you think we can find any way to tie these murders to Baltimore? If we have any sort of connection to our city, we could probably at least ask to look at the file."

"We can ask Nick if they have any connections down there. If so, we can play that angle." It was a long shot but probably the best one they had. Ty sighed and closed his eyes, bringing his free hand up to pinch his nose in a gesture Zane had seen far too often. One that signaled that Ty had an idea he didn't like. "We should probably call in. If we can convince Mac to put us on this case, we won't have to resort to more extreme measures." How they would explain that to Mac was another question entirely.

Zane agreed. There wasn't any other way and they knew it. "So, we're doing this? If we can help, we're going to?" He knew the answer but Zane wanted Ty to say it out loud. If he said it out loud, it would be more real and maybe Ty could come to terms with all of this a little easier.

Or Zane had been spending too much time talking to Deuce. Either way.

"If it was just me, I would have agreed back on the boat. I mean, it's Nick and Kelly. We've all done some things we shouldn't have and while we have had our fights, in the end, we always have one another's back. But, they are including you in this as well. And I can't lose you, Zane. I can't do anything that would hurt you." Ty rolled to close the distance between them, kissing Zane gently. "If I have to choose, Zane, I will always choose you."

Zane smiled into the kiss, running his hand up Ty's arm to the back of his neck to hold him close. He was still coiled tight, ready to lash out and Zane lengthened the kiss, trying to force Ty to relax a little. "And I will always choose you, Beaumont. But you don't have to choose. I already told you, we aren't saving our skins and risking our friends. So I'm in. Let's figure out a way to save them."

The smile that crossed Ty's lips was nothing short of beautiful and Zane's heart clenched at the sight. He loved the man in his arms more than anything and would do anything for him. Considering Sidewinder was as much a part of Ty's life as Zane was, Zane was determined to make sure his lover never lost one of them. None of them had a chance to save Sanchez, but they could damn well do everything possible to save O'Flaherty and Doc.

"Do we want to call the office now or should we wait for a bit?" Zane didn't know if putting it off longer would help but he wasn't interested in having another awkward conversation with Mac so soon after the last one. He made a decision. "We rest first, then we can call McCoy and see if he will pull some strings for us." Not a perfect plan but the best one they had at that moment. 

He gave Ty one more kiss before sitting up. "Alright, doll. Shirt off and lay on your stomach." Ty was too tense and Zane was more than happy to help him relax. To help take his mind off the fact that his best friends in the world were being framed for murder.

Ty raised a brow, smirk blooming on his lips and he sat up to pull his shirt off, tossing it to the side with no regard for where it landed. Zane took a moment to look around for the cats and saw them both curled up asleep on the couch at the side of the room. A day of travel and excitement wore them both out and he hoped they would stay there for a while so he could give Ty the full attention he deserved.

With Ty spread on the bed in front of him, Zane stood and pressed a kiss between his lover’s shoulder blades. “Stay there.” He grabbed the lube from their travel kit because he knew them well enough to know it would be necessary before they were done. But he also picked up the massage oil he’d tossed in there on a whim. This certainly wasn’t a vacat- but Zane hoped they would have some time for relaxation. Considering they were about to get themselves onto a case, this might be the only time for relaxing they got, and Zane intended to enjoy it.

When Zane moved away, Ty turned his head to watch him go get the things they would need. Zane watched him shift unsubtly and Zane knew at least part of Ty was on board with what Zane had planned for the night. “Kind of need to take my pants off here, Lone Star,” Ty called from the bed. Zane laughed, a deep chuckle he knew Ty loved. He also knew that Ty loved being at his mercy and that he was the only person in the world Ty trusted this implicitly. They'd been through so much and came out the other side stronger than before. It was a trust that Zane would never take for granted. 

“Patience is a virtue, Meow Mix.” Zane returned and quickly stripped off his own shirt but left his pants on. “There. Now we’re equal. Quit complaining and let me take care of you.”

Ty raised a brow but said nothing. Until Zane snapped open a bottle. Then he commented, “You do realize that won’t do you much good if I am still half-dressed?”

Zane snorted and straddled Ty’s hips, leaning forward just enough that Ty could feel Zane’s hardness against his ass. He moaned and tried to buck up but Zane put more of his weight on him, effectively pinning him to the mattress. “A little trust here, doll. I know what I’m doing.”

Zane waited for Ty to point out that he obviously didn't know what he was doing (because that was absolutely something Ty would say). Instead, Zane ran his oil-slicked hands up Ty's back to his shoulders, starting to work out the tension he found there. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh is right. Now shut up and let me work.” Zane’s hands ran gently over Ty’s back, covering his skin with the lightly scented oil. He continued to do that, just soft, smooth touches until Ty relaxed underneath him. Then his fingers dug in, working his muscles with deep presses, focusing on all the knots and tension Ty carried in his muscles. “Damn, Grady, why didn’t you tell me you were this tight earlier.” Ty started to speak, a quip on the tip of his tongue before Zane cut him off. “Never mind, don’t answer that.”

Slowly, with the same thoroughness Zane did everything else, he worked his way across Ty’s shoulders and down his back until Ty was putty under his hands. “Zane, you’re going to have to fuck me like this because I can’t move,” he said with a sigh, the words muffled by the pillow.

"You say that like I would be upset by that." Zane toyed with the idea of just curling up in bed and sleeping, seeing how relaxed Ty was, but he was curious if he could make him even more so. Besides, Zane was so hard he was straining in his jeans and a warm, pliant, willing Ty went a long way to stroking his libido.

Ty continued to grumble from under the pillow. "Whatever. Stop talking and take my pants off." He lifted his hips just enough for Zane to get his hands under him to open his jeans, then Zane scooted off him and tugged the pants right off Ty's body. His boxers followed and Zane dragged his fingers down the cleft of Ty's ass as he did that.

Ty shuddered underneath him and the smile pulled at Zane's lips. "Shh, baby. Let me take care of you." When Ty nodded, Zane pressed a kiss to his lower back then stood to get his own clothes off.

Ty lay still but he pulled his head over from under the pillow to look up at Zane. "You see something you like, Lone Star?"

"When I'm looking at you? Always."

"Flatterer."

Dropping the bottle of massage oil on the bedside table, Zane exchanged it for the lube which he used to generously coat his fingers. "Hand me one of those pillows," he said, pointing at the practical mountain of them at the head of the bed.

Ty blindly grabbed one and tossed it over his shoulder in Zane's general direction, who caught it and encouraged Ty to lift his hips. When his lover cooperated, Zane slipped the pillow underneath him, elevating Ty's hips to an angle that would be good for them both. He loved the way Ty looked like this, vulnerable and needy, and he loved even more than he was the only person who got to see him like this and would be the only person for the rest of their lives. A burst of possessiveness and glee formed in Zane's chest and he ran his slick hand over his own cock in an attempt to get his mind back where it needed to be.

"How much prep do you need?" He asked. Sometimes they took their time and drew it out, fingering the other until he practically sobbed with need. Other times, they just wanted it now with nothing but lube. Most of the time Zane could read Ty's mood fairly well but even then he liked to check in first. With this utterly relaxed Ty, he wasn't sure, however.

Grinning, Ty wiggled his ass a little. "Just get inside me, Garrett before I decide to go take a run instead."

That drew a growl from Zane who settled between Ty's legs and lined himself up. "You wouldn't dare."

"I'm getting sweaty today, so either you can do it or I can go do it myself." They both knew Ty wasn't going anywhere, but it was fun to pretend.

"This is going to hurt," Zane warned before pushing past the tight ring of muscle and sheathing himself inside his lover's body. Ty tensed around him, and for a moment everything was hot-tight-oh-my-god-this-is-too-much. Zane curled forward, wrapping his body around Ty, melding his chest along his lover's back. "I love you," he whispered against Ty's ear and when Ty nodded, Zane began to move. He used one hand to support himself and the other wrapped around Ty's chest, resting over his heart.

With Zane spawled over the top of him, Ty was effectively pinned to the mattress. The pillow under his hips gave him a little room for movement but mostly, he could just lay there and take what Zane was giving him. Which was exactly what Zane planned to do. He knew Ty's body well and he could pull pleasures from Ty that Ty didn’t even realize were possible. A thin layer of sweat covered Ty’s body as Zane continued to thrust into him and he whimpered when he felt Zane’s tongue follow a trail of it up his neck to his ear.

“You can be loud, doll,” Zane whispered, pulling Ty’s earlobe between his teeth. “Let me hear you.”

With a particularly brutal snap of his hips, Ty cried out, back bowing as pleasure wracked through him. The sounds Ty made only drove Zane to higher heights and he thought he might come apart before he found his pleasure. 

“Baby, I’m close,” Ty warned. It was rare for him to come untouched. He almost always needed direct stimulation but the light touch of the pillow and the unending pleasure of Zane filling him again and again appeared like it would be enough today.

Zane, however, wasn’t leaving anything to chance, and the hand that rested on Ty’s heart slid down his chest and wrapped around his length. Zane’s touch was all it took and Ty spilled over his lover’s hand, the bed, and the pillow with a broken cry of absolute pleasure.

The feeling of Ty’s body clenching around him milked his orgasm from him and Zane gave a surprise shout as he emptied himself deep in his lover. Ty collapsed and Zane followed, the two of them grunting as they tried to move apart without actually creating any space between them. With some creative shuffling, the pillow under Ty’s hips ended up on the floor and the two of them lay side by side, legs tangled together and foreheads touching as they struggled to catch their breath.

Zane smirked triumphantly to see his normally twitchy fiance laying still and relaxed with his eyes closed, a beatific smile on his face. “Oh don’t look so damned pleased with yourself,” Ty muttered without opening his eyes. That only had Zane smiling wider and Ty cracked one eye open to glare at him ineffectually.

“I love you, doll,” Zane offered, giving Ty a quick kiss.

Ty smiled back at him when the kiss broke. “Yeah, you do.” They lay there for a while, trading kisses and sharing breaths while their heart rates returned to normal. Once they were both settled and calm, Ty reached out to cup Zane’s cheek, giving a softer, sadder smile to the man he loved. “Do you think we are doing the right thing?”

Zane didn’t even need to ask what Ty was talking about, nodding immediately. “Yes, we are. They came running when it was our asses on the line in Miami and they never asked for anything in return. They are our friends and we agreed we aren’t leaving them to face this alone.”

Letting out a soft sigh, Ty bit his lip. "So, I guess we are doing this?”

“Yep. We’re working for the Irish mob now.” It was strange that they both spent their lives working to bring down criminals and now they were working with them. "I have no doubts about this, Ty. You know that. But we need to be careful."

"No, we aren't working _for_ them. We're working _with_ them. There's a distinction." Leave it to Ty to find the moral work-around for any situation. Even one that resulted in them working for the mob.

"Doll, it’s a distinction the FBI won't give a fuck about, and you know it." Zane didn’t know why he was arguing this. He’d agreed to ‘for better or worse’ long ago, even if they hadn’t said the words yet. And nothing was going to keep them from helping their friends. But Zane’s mind was over-analyzing like always.

"Fine, then we are working with Nick and Kelly."

Zane laughed despite himself. "Who happens to run the Irish mob."

"Exactly." Nodding, Ty agreed. “You’re still in, right? If you aren’t sure, that’s okay.”

“The only thing I am more sure about is that I love you.”

Ty’s eyes fluttered closed and even though it was still early, Zane could feel him drifting off to sleep. “You sleep, doll. I’m going to call McCoy and then I’ll be back. We can sleep for a while then go find some dinner.” If they were doing this, there was a good chance this was the last peace they would have until they solved the case. Zane intended to enjoy it.

Ty smiled, pressing a sleepy kiss to Zane’s lips before drifting off before his eyes. With a sigh, Zane climbed from the bed and retrieved his phone from his pants pocket. Dialing the number, he wondered if this was going to work. There was a good chance he’d get written up for what he was about to do, but with a glance over at his lover’s sleeping form, Zane knew it was worth it.

“McCoy,” their boss answered and Zane braced himself.

“Mac, it’s Garrett.”

“Already? Office pool had it at a day and a half before you two were in trouble. Clancy is going to be thrilled. Pretty sure she just won a lot of money. What is it this time? Bail for Grady? Bail for both of you? Extradition agreements from some country no one has ever heard of.”

Zane couldn’t stop his laugh, though he tried to turn it into a cough. “No, nothing like that. But I’m calling in a favor. We never asked for anything after Miami and Burns, only to keep our jobs and be left alone. But now, the agency owes us and this is how we want to collect.” 

McCoy sighed but said nothing. 

“We need you to pull some strings and get us on a case involving a string of mob hits here in New York. I can’t tell you more but there is a connection here to something Ty and I have worked on in the past, and we would like to have the authority to go forwards with the investigation.”

The insinuation that they would do this with or without permission hung unspoken in the air but McCoy heard it loud and clear. “You won’t be back in the office until this is cleared up, will you?” He asked, already knowing the answer. “I will give the office there a call. No promises. If you get arrested or worse, don’t come crying to me because this was what you wanted.”

Zane breathed out a sigh of relief, thankful that Mac seemed to understand even if he wasn’t happy about it.

“And Garrett?”

Humming in acknowledgment, Zane listened halfheartedly while watching Ty shuffle in his sleep and get more comfortable.

“You’ll be working without a net up there. I can’t save you if this goes wrong. So, be careful and don’t trust the wrong people.”

It sounded like their boss might have an idea what they were up to, a thought that had Zane’s blood running cold, though he thought he managed to keep it hidden in his voice well enough. “Understood, sir.” Who the wrong people were, Zane didn’t know. But they had each other, always and forever. And Zane was fairly confident that they had Nick and Kelly on their side.

Zane just hoped it would be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will be slow. Please be patient. 😊


End file.
